


Hello Stranger, I'm a Disaster

by venomvamp



Category: My Chemical Romance, The Used
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Artist!Gerard - Freeform, Drug Use, F/M, Gerard's POV, M/M, Multi, Prostitute!Gerard, Prostitution, Suicide Attempt, barista!Frank
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-26
Updated: 2013-06-28
Packaged: 2017-12-16 06:00:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/858667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/venomvamp/pseuds/venomvamp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gerard has been dragging his feet through life, until he meets Frank. But will the reunion of an old friend push him into regression?</p><p>Disclaimer: I'm supposed to say this is fake and I don't own the people that my characters are based on right?<br/>Disclaimer #2: It appears to be a fluffy cliche coffee shop fic, but don't worry, there's a plot twist.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Coffee Shops are so Cliche

The chilly air bit at my nose as I walked down the dark street with my hands tucked in my pockets. Each breath of air I released formed a cloud outside my mouth. As I turned the corner I glanced up to look at an empty coffee shop. Of course it would be closed at this hour, but I couldn’t help but hope I would be lucky enough to find that it was open.  
I walked past the coffee shop and continued on to my apartment building. After another five minutes I was ascending the stairs and pulling my keys out of my pocket. When I unlocked my door the only sound to be heard was the jingle of metal clanging together. I entered my apartment and crossed the black room to the kitchen. In a cupboard I found a white bottle of pills and a glass. I filled the glass with water and retreated into my bedroom.

I kicked off my shoes and pushed them to a corner of my room. Then I unbuttoned my pants and slid them off, disposing them on the floor. I sat on my bed and opened the bottle of pills. In one swift movement I dumped several pills into my mouth and took a gulp of my water. I set the glass down and laid back in bed as my mind fell into darkness.

* * * 

I opened my eyes and found myself staring into blinding white light. I blinked a few times and my bedroom came into focus. Fuck. That stunt last night was supposed to work, but it obviously didn’t.  
  
“I didn't try hard enough” I said to the air. I sighed and crawled out of bed, dragging my feet all the way to the bathroom. I turned on the faucet and splashed my face with cold water.  
  
The reflection in the mirror showed me a man with pale white skin. My black hair was a stark contrast against my face. It clung to my cheeks and neck while standing straight up at the top of my head. The flesh around my eyes had a sallow purple tint to it. I turned away from the mirror and returned to my bedroom. I found a clean pair of jeans and a fresh shirt in the pile of clothes on my floor.  
  
At least I didn’t have to work today. It was my first day off in weeks. I grabbed my sketchbook and left my apartment. I was going to spend the day at the coffee shop.

 * * * 

A bell gave a ding, announcing my presence in the coffee shop. The guy standing behind the counter looked up with a smile on his face. Studying the menu I approached the counter, deciding what I wanted to order. I settled on ordering a hazelnut mocha. After I fished a few bills out of my pocket the barista stored them in the register before turning around to make my order.  
  
As I watched him make my coffee I noticed the artwork that was tattooed on the barista’s arms. He turned back around to give me my drink.  
  
“Thank you” I mumbled glancing down at the nametag on the baristas shirt, “Frank.”  
  
Frank gave me a smile and replied with “You’re welcome.”  
  
I sat down at a table, positioning myself so I could watch the barista named Frank with the tattoos. I opened my sketchbook and began doodling absentmindedly, glancing up every so often to catch a glimpse of him.  
  
I got carried away with my sketch, my mind completely checked out. I was startled when someone set a cup on the table in front of me. I looked up to find the tattooed barista standing next to my table.  
  
“Hey,” he pushed the cup forward. “I noticed you’ve been sitting here for quite a while. It looks like you’re working really hard so I thought you might like some more coffee.” He paused before adding “On the house.” He scratched his head and took a step back.  
  
I looked from Frank’s face to the coffee in front of him and back to his face. “Oh. Uh… Thanks.”  
  
Frank stood there like he was waiting for something, so I picked up the cup and put it to my lips, took a small sip, and licked the burning coffee off my lip. “’S good” I mumbled without looking up from the table.  
  
“Hey that’s a cool drawing. Who is it?” Frank pointed at the unfinished sketch in front of me. The figure was skinny, but defined. The arms had faint traces of designs on them but the face and chest were blank.  
  
“Uh,” I hesitated. “I don’t know. I was just sketching.”  
  
“Frank!” a voice from behind the counter shouted at the tattooed barista.  
  
“It’s a good start. Keep at it, I want to see when it’s finished.” He smiled and jogged back behind the counter.  
  
I watched him leave before I closed my sketchbook. I stuck my pencil in the binding and tucked the book underneath my arm. Standing up, I grabbed my coffee. My fingers brushed against a little piece of paper stuck to the opposite side of my cup. Tucked just under the lid was a paper that read “You look like an interesting guy. We should hang out sometime.” Under the message there was a phone number.  
  
I eyed the tattooed barista named Frank with suspicious curiosity. Why did he take random interest in me? What makes him think I seem interesting when he’s only seen me sitting by myself in a coffee shop?  
  
I left the building wondering if that note was really meant for me, when my phone started to ring. I fumbled around with it for a moment before finally answering it.  
“Hello?” I asked. I forgot to look at the caller ID.  
  
“Hey! Its Mikey, I hope I’m not interrupting your dinner or anything.” I looked at the sky and realized it was starting to get dark. I had spent the whole day in the coffee shop!  
  
“Oh hey Mikey. What’s up?”  
  
“Mom wanted me to tell you that we’re having dinner tomorrow. She wants you to be there.”  
  
Mom wanted me to participate in family dinner? Since when did she care to include me in anything?  
  
Mikey took note of my silence. “Gerard. I want you to come too. We haven't seen each other in a while.”  
  
I sighed. Yeah, I did miss Mikey. He knew it too. “Alright” I agreed. “I’ll go, but only for you.”  
  
“Great!” I could hear his grin in his voice. “So I’ll come by your place at six?”  
  
“Uh, yeah? Yeah. That will be good.” I always feel awkward making plans with people, even if it’s my brother. We said goodbye and I stuffed my phone back in my pocket. My feet had found the way back to my apartment while I was on the phone with Mikey.  
  
I wasn’t hungry and I had nothing to do so I decided to retire to my bed. I fell asleep without thinking of the coffee cup and the phone number sitting on my kitchen counter.


	2. Working at a Comic Book Shop is Stupid Anyways

I woke up when the light shining through my window hit my face. I had the feeling that I was missing something until I realized I was supposed to be at work before the sun came up. I sat up and looked at my alarm clock – yep. It was 8:30. I should have gone to work and hour ago. I quickly put on some clean clothes and I ran out the door.

Ten minutes later I was stepping off the subway and running up to the comic book shop where I work. I really hoped my boss wasn’t waiting around for me. Maybe I could get in without anyone noticing my absence. There was never very much business anyway.

When I walked in the door I noticed Ray counting inventory. Ray looked up from the box on the floor and waved when he saw me. He rose to his feet and stepped forward to meet me. With his hand he motioned towards the back of the shop. “Bryar’s waiting for you. He doesn’t seem too happy dude.”

Ray gave me a look filled with concern, but I was annoyed that he had to pass me this news. Fuck. I should have known Bryar would wait around for me.

Without saying a word to Ray I made my way to my boss’ office. When I reached the back of the store, the door was slightly ajar. I knocked feebly, hoping he wouldn’t be in there. My heart dropped further when I heard a voice call “come in” from within. I pushed the door open and stepped inside the little room. The walls were lined with filing cabinets. Nearly every drawer was pulled open to some degree, revealing a disarray of papers. A desk took up most of the space in the small room, wrapping around to create a barricade for its owner. Its surface was covered with stacks upon stacks of miscellaneous papers, a large ancient computer, and a more modern streamlined laptop. On either side of the two computers there were enough coffee mugs to last a lifetime. A plaque sat on top of the tallest stack of papers that read “Bob Bryar” in silver lettering.

Behind the desk sat the owner of the plaque, and the owner of the mess. He smiled at me and waved his hand, signaling me to sit down in the chair on my side of the desk. I dropped down in it abruptly, wanting this meeting to be over as soon as possible.

“What’s going on Gerard?” He leaned forward, folding his hands on his desk with a scrutinizing glare in his eyes.

I blinked at him, not knowing what to say.

“You’ve been performing less than satisfactory lately. You’ve been slacking off in your work, and this morning you took the liberty to give yourself some extra time to sleep.

I gawked at him, my mouth falling wide open. I snapped my jaw shut and tried to gain some composure. “I… I’m sorry. It was an accident, and I’ll make sure it won’t happen again.” That’s what you’re supposed to say in these situations right?

“You’re right. It won’t happen again.” He gave me a plastic smile, “Because we no longer require your services. Have a nice day, Mr. Way.”

Bryar stared at me until I stood up and backed out of the room. I couldn’t believe I just got fired. What does he mean ‘I haven’t been satisfactory?’ I’ve been coming in every day for the past two months! I always made sure the shelves were stocked, I provided excellent customer service with my extensive knowledge of comic books, and I even went on fucking coffee runs for Bryar during my breaks. Toro didn’t do shit. He couldn’t even tell Marvel from DC, and he only worked three days a week.

Well, if Bryar wanted to lose someone as valuable as me, then so be it. At least I had more time on my hands now. I walked out of the comic book shop, not even stopping when Ray asked me what happened. I felt a little guilty for ignoring him. Ray wasn’t a bad guy. I was just pissed that he had a terrible work ethic and I was the one who got fired.

Once I was out on the street I didn’t know where to go. I didn’t have anything to do now except get ready to go out to dinner with my family. I didn’t even know what to say to them. Of course they would ask about my job. I would just have to deal with that later. For now, I decided that I needed coffee. I made my way up to the coffee shop I spent the day in yesterday. When I approached the door I could see the tattooed barista named Frank through the window.

When I opened the door and the bell chimed he looked up from the latte he was making.

“Hey! Back again so soon? I’ll be right there to help you”.

One side of my mouth turned up into a half-hearted smile. Frank gave the latte to the customer in front of me with an enthusiastic “Enjoy!”

I stepped forward to take the guys place in front of the counter. “I’d like a haz-“

“A hazelnut mocha?” Frank cut me off with a grin.

“Uh, yeah.” I smiled faintly back at him. When I had my mocha in my grasp I scouted out the table I had been sitting at yesterday. He set his backpack on the padded bench next to him, and his latte on the table. Glancing at his watch he figured he had about seven hours before he needed to get home to freshen up for the family dinner tonight. 

I pulled out my sketchbook and continued my doodle from the previous day. I let myself become wrapped up in my work again, only noticing the passage of time when I picked my cup up to take a sip, and I didn't feel anything hit my lip. I looked up to see the small building had become quite crowded and lively. A steady stream of customers filtered into the door to feed the line formed at the counter causing the bell to chime frequently. Men and women dressed in business casual attire sat at the tables in groups of twos and threes. It must be lunch hour.

I glanced down at my watch and sure enough, it was after noon. Three hours of doodling had produced an image of a pig dressed as a manager, a talking package of ramen, and a comic strip featuring a bum who uses his super-lazy powers to prevent giant TVs from taking over the city. Spoiler alert: he changes the channels to death. 

With no motivation to draw anything else and four more hours to kill, I decided to watch the other people instead. The first thing I noticed was that everybody seemed happy. At the nearest table I overheard two women gossiping about an office romance. Across the room three teenagers were laughing at something on a phone. Even the smallest of small talk coming from the two gentlemen rigidly standing in the corner came out sounding genuinely cheerful.

I noticed that Frank the friendly tattooed barista was weaving in and out of the customers, cleaning up cups and napkins, bringing people their orders, and pausing every few minutes to make small talk. It looked like he was really into his job by the way that he did everything with a smile on his face. He befriended every customer that stayed long enough for him to greet personally. A cold feeling dropped at the pit of my stomach when I remembered I had lost my own job. I had no idea what I was going to tell my mom, but I had to think of something soon.

Feeling bored with sitting in the over-crowded coffee shop, I packed my things into my backpack and stood up.

“Not staying all day?” I heard Franks voice behind me. I turned around to see him holding a stack of empty cups and wearing a smile on his face.

“Uh, yeah. I’ve… I’ve got other things to do.” What, did he think I was a loser with nothing better to do with my time? Because I really am, but I’m tired of sitting around all of the smiling people.

“Of course you do” He replied with an even bigger grin. “You have a wonderful day, and think happy thoughts man. You never know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”

“Uh… Thanks?” I knew my face had contorted into a state of creeped-out confusion, but I hoped he didn’t catch on. I turned around and left the building.

Once I was outside I shook my head. Frank the friendly tattooed barista definitely gave me the creeps. Nobody was naturally that happy. Whatever he was on, I wanted some of that.

While I was walking home I tried to rack my brain to figure out what to say to my mom tonight. I could feel the panic start to well up inside me when I thought about the dinner. When I got back to my apartment I still had two hours to kill so I decided to run a bath. As I sat in the tub the clock ticked slowly by.

When the clock read 5:45 I decided to get out of the tub. By that time my fingers and toes had turned pruney and I felt soaked like a wet dog. I dried myself off and put the clothes I had been wearing earlier back on. I was beginning to wonder if it was too late to cancel when I heard a knock on my door. I turned the knob and pulled the door open.

“Hey Mikey”.

 

          


	3. Family Dinners are Super Awesome

“Hey Gerard!” Mikey exclaimed as he pulled me into a hug. I gently returned the gesture before I pulled away from him, clearing my throat. 

“Yeah, sorry. I forgot you don’t like physical contact.” His voice was playful, but his facial expression revealed his annoyance. “Well, shall we get going?”

I hesitated before I faintly nodded my head and followed Mikey out the door. He doesn’t own a car; he walks everywhere he goes, as do I. We walk up the street in awkward silence, the slap of our shoes on the concrete and the city in the background were the only sounds to be heard. Neither of us knew how to break the silence, or even really wanted to, so I got wrapped up in my thoughts instead. I thought about my mother, becoming suspicious of the evenings plans. Why does she want to see me now when she hasn’t talked to me in three years. Not since… I shuddered at the thought of it. I quickly changed the subject of my thoughts to something more pleasant. My mind settled on the friendly tattooed barista named Frank.

Before I knew it we were climbing the stairs of an apartment building that I didn’t recognize. Mom must have moved, but of course she wouldn’t tell me that. We came to a halt in front of a door on the third floor and Mikey gave a quick knock before letting himself in.

When I entered the open entryway I was sure Mikey had let us in the wrong apartment. I expected the place to be dim and cramped, overflowing with useless knick-knacks like her old apartment. This entryway was painted white, lit well, and simple décor adorned the walls. As I walked deeper into the apartment I noticed the whole place was set up the same. The living room featured a pristine white furniture set arranged around a glass coffee table with a stack of magazines laying out on it.

When we entered the dining room I was caught off guard by the arms that immediately embraced me.

“Oh Gerard, I’m so glad you could come.” My mom said in my ear as she squeezed me half to death. “Honey, please have a seat. You too Mikey, I’m just about to take dinner off the stove.” She quickly gave Mikey a peck on the check before disappearing into the kitchen.

I pulled out a chair and took a seat at the table. It was set with fine china plates, complete with place mats and everything. I looked up to see Mikey staring at me. He smirked at my confused and slightly alarmed expression. What the hell was going on? All of a sudden my mother was Martha Fucking Stewart, and I didn’t like it.

Mikey sat down across from me as mom returned to the dining room holding a salad bowl in one hand and a bowl of pasta in the other. She set them down and took her place at the head of the table. Mikey immediately started dishing up his plate as soon as she sat down.

“So, Gerard, it’s been a long time. What have you been up to?”  Mom asked me as she passed me the food.

“Um…” I hesitated. “The usual?” I can’t believe she’s talking to me like this. Since when does she care? How exactly am I supposed to respond to this?

“Well, are you working? What do you do for a living?” She smiled at me.

I studied her face before answering. Her smile looked like it was stuck on her face like a stamp, and her eyes reminded me of someone that belongs in the nut house. “I work at a comic book store.” Oops, not anymore.

“Oh really? Are you well off in your job then?” She asked in between bites.

“Uh, yeah,” I decided to lie. “I actually just got promoted. Hiring manager.” Where the hell did that come from?

“That’s wonderful sweetheart! I’m so proud of you. So how are your friends? You’re not still hanging out with that guy are you? What was his name? Ben?” She exchanged a disgusted glance with Mikey, but smiled when she looked back at me.

“Bert, and no mom. I’m not. You should know that.” My expression turned sour at the memory.

“I’m glad to hear so. He was a poisonous influence on you anyway. So tell me about your friends then. What about your girlfriend?”

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. I didn’t exactly have any friends, and I definitely didn’t have a _girlfriend_. Mikey noticed that I was uncomfortable so he changed the subject by asking mom about the recipe she used tonight. She seemed to forget about questioning me as she passionately talked about her new cooking obsession.

The rest of dinner was uneventful, and desert turned out to be delicious. I might have been suspicious about my mom’s transformation, but I wasn’t going to complain about homemade apple pie. Once we were done eating and I had helped clean up the dishes I decided it was an acceptable time to leave, claiming I was tired and I needed to prepare for my new position at work tomorrow.

As I was walking back to my apartment I tried to figure out what the hell was going on back there. I didn’t believe that mom just decided to change her lifestyle because she felt like it. There was something Mikey wasn’t telling me.

“Hey!” A voice behind me startled me from my thoughts.

I turned to see who was calling after me. I was paralyzed with shock when I saw the long black hair and strong jaw. Speak of the devil.

“Hey princess, did ya miss me?” he had caught up with me by now.

“Bert!” I spluttered. “W- what are you doing here? I thought you were-“

“They let me go! I’m clean. I’ve promised to be a good citizen.” Bert made a crossing gesture over his heart with a smug smile.

“Wow man. That’s awesome!” I can’t believe Bert actually gave up his drugs. I thought he would never get away from his parents.

Bert snaked an arm around my waist and pulled me closer. “So, do you wanna come over to my place?”

I smiled widely. “Hell yeah I do!” I agreed, the sour memory of our last meeting was wiped from my mind.


	4. Do My Social Skills Exist?

When I opened my eyes all I could see was a tiny TV sitting up against a dingy wall. A tiny TV and dingy wall that didn’t belong to me. I shot up on the lumpy couch I was lying on. The sun was shining through broken blinds partially covering a small window. Confusion turned into understanding as I remembered the details of last night: I was at Bert’s house.

I remembered meeting him while I was walking home, and he had invited me over. I remembered that we got to his house, and sat on the couch to catch up, and I also remember that I passed out not long after that. After all, I did have a nerve wrecking day. Being nervous always wore me out. I hoped Bert wasn’t offended that I crashed on his couch when he wanted to have a reunion.

I stood up and strode across the room. The apartment seemed to be empty. On the counter I saw a note with my name on it. I walked over and picked it up.

“Gerard- Hey man, what’s with falling asleep on my couch so early? We hadn’t even had a beer yet. You looked pretty wrecked so I just let you sleep, but if you ever come over to my house again, at least bring some booze before you crash. I’m kidding. I had a previous engagement to attend, so don’t wait for me to get home, and dude, quit doing whatever you did to give yourself nightmares like that. –Bert”

Nightmares? I don’t remember having any nightmares. I must have really crashed hard. I crumpled the note and put it in my pocket before I glanced at the clock, yawning. It was already 3:00, how the hell did I sleep on that lumpy couch for that long? Deciding it was time for a cup of coffee I quickly put my shoes on and left Bert’s apartment.

 

The now familiar ding of the bell announced my presence in the coffee shop for the third day in a row. I expected to see the friendly tattooed barista named Frank at the counter, but this time it was just a girl with red hair. I tried not to think about the disappointment that dropped to the bottom of my stomach as I approached the counter.

“I’d like a hazelnut mocha please.” I told her. She looked at me with a cold glint in her eyes as she handed me my coffee. I sat down at “my table” and rubbed my face with my hands, stifling another yawn.

“If you don’t mind me noticing, this is the third day in a row you’ve sat in here alone.”

I removed my hands from my eyes to look at the smiling face that belonged to the cheerful voice.

His face fell slightly when I looked at him. “I don’t mean to offend you… I… I just noticed you seem lonely. That’s all. I’m sorry.” He began to turn around, but then his face warmed up again as he thought of something. “Hey, I get off work in half an hour. Do you want to come hang out with me?” He raised his eyebrows and a huge grin spread across his face.

I was taken by surprise with his offer, but I had nothing better to do so I quickly agreed. “Yeah, sure, that sounds cool.”

“Cool.” He smiled and returned to working.

I smiled as I thought about what just happened. It was strange that this random stranger had decided to take an interest in me, but it was also nice to feel like I might have a friend too.

I had planned on drinking my coffee and leaving, but now that I had plans I decided to make my coffee last. I didn’t bring anything with me to help pass the time, so I laid my head on the table top until I saw an abandoned pen lying on the floor five feet away from me. I picked up the pen and grabbed a handful of napkins from the dispenser at the front of the shop.

I decide to pass the time by drawing cartoon coffee cups having a discussion about the cruelty acts against coffee beans. I almost forgot that I agreed to hang out with the friendly tattooed barista when he showed up at my table minus the apron and nametag.

“Are you ready?” He chirped.

I crumpled the napkins and stuffed them in my coffee cup. “Yep” I say as I stand up and we walk towards the door tossing my cup in the trash as I walk by. “So, what exactly are we going to do?” I asked curiously.

“I dunno. I hadn’t planned that far.” Frank led me to the sidewalk and around a corner. “For now we can just walk and talk.” He smiled at me. “So what’s your name?”

“Oh, that. My name is Gerard.” Wow, that sounded awkward.

“Aren’t you curious about my name?” Frank asked.

“Well I already know it. I do have reading skills you know.”

“Right,” he laughed. “Sorry, I forgot.” We walked a few steps before he started talking again. “So what’s your deal? You seem to have this mysterious brooding personality.”

I have clinical depression, social anxiety, and no self-confidence, in other words, I’m just all around fucked up. Of course I didn’t say any of that. I didn’t want to talk to him about it. “I don’t know.” I replied pathetically.

Frank made a face and changed the subject. “I’m starving, do you wanna grab a bite to eat?”

My stomach growled loudly in response. A small smile cracked on my lips as Frank giggled.

“I’ll take that as a yes. C’mon there’s a diner up the street that sells great veggie burgers.”

 

We walked into the diner and the hostess handed us two menus. Frank picked a table and plopped down on the seat. “I’ll never get used to how bouncy these cushions are!” He giggled.

I felt myself loosen up as I saw how playful Frank was being.  The waitress stopped by our table with a pad of paper and a pen to take our order. We each ordered a veggie burger and a coke, and she disappeared, off to give the order to the cook before she returned with our drinks.

“So, Gerard, do you have any siblings?” Frank paused. “A girlfriend?” Why does it seem like everyone is interested about my love life?

“Nah. Well, I have a brother. But no girlfriend.” My cheeks burned slightly as I wondered how he would react if he knew that a _girlfriend_ wasn’t what I wanted. I almost forgot to return the question. “What about you?”

“Nope, no siblings. And no girlfriend either. But it’s not like I need one.” He winked at me. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to wink back so I just pretended that there was a really interesting ice cube in my drink.

“Have you finished that drawing of that person you were working on the other day?” He changed the subject.

“No, I haven’t. To tell the truth I forgot about that drawing until now.” I was lying. I hadn’t finished it because I didn’t have enough knowledge about the details I wanted to fill in.

I was saved from making the conversation more awkward when our veggie burgers arrived. We were both pretty hungry so there wasn’t any talking as we wolfed down our food. When I finished my burger I sighed. “You were right. That was the best veggie burger I’ve ever had.”

“I know right?” Frank said between licking his fingers. “Are you tired of me yet, or do you want to go somewhere else? There’s an awesome club right across the street.”

“Yeah, I’m up for that. Definitely.” We paid our tickets and left the diner.

The club across the street was loud and wild compared to the family environment we had just left. Frank had already began dancing as we made our way through the crowd towards the bar. Once we made it through the swaying mass of bodies we sat in the two open bar stools.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a club.” I shout over the music.

“Really? I like to come here a lot. It’s a great place to socialize.” Frank make a gesture to call the bartender over. “We’ll have two rum and cokes to start off.”

I began to feel nervous again. I hadn’t drank in public in a couple years. Recently I only drank to knock myself out. My first couple sips were tentative, but after watching Frank down his whole glass in a few gulps I followed suit. Three glasses of rum and coke later Frank decided begin ordering rounds of vodka shots. By this time I had lost all of my anxiety.

“Hey, Frankie?” I set my shot glass down and he did the same.

“Hmm?”

“What did you mean, back at the diner? When you said you didn’t need a girlfriend? What was that all about?” I giggled, hoping his answer would be something that appealed to me.

“I thought it would be obvious.” Frank practically yelled in my ear. “I don’t need a girlfriend because I like dick!”

I felt like I had just been slapped in the face. I knew I had just asked him that question, and I got the answer I wanted. I just didn’t expect him to be so blunt about it, even if he was drunk. 

Frank took one look at my face and instantly sobered up. “Oh shit. G- Gerard, I didn’t mean to say that.” Before I could even respond he slapped some money on the bar and ran out the door. I was left sitting on the bar stool, too drunk to feel shocked or confused.

I was just about to get up to leave myself when I felt a hand grab a hold of my shoulder. I turned around to see Bert smiling at me. “Hey man! I never thought I’d see you here!” He breathed alcohol in my face and I laughed as he tripped over my stool. He was more wasted than I was. “This feels just like old times doesn’t it?” Bert said to me as he ordered us some more drinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope these chapters aren't getting boring? This is my first fic and if I'm doing something wrong, or if you have a suggestion please leave a comment (◡‿◡✿) 
> 
> If I'm doing something right please leave a comment too (｡◕‿◕｡)


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